Medabots Upgrade: Medal Souls
by Pulsar
Summary: AU: Medabots are modeled to resemble humans even more. A fugitive escapes from captivity and finds himself partnered with an eager young boy. Will their quest to become champions also lead him to discover the truth behind his shadowed past...?


Yes, this is another AU fanfiction series. No, I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. But… the idea hit me, I started typing on a whim to see where it might take me, and before I realized it I had an entire chapter finished, plus several concept scenes and ideas for where this could go jotted down. Geh… So I figured I might as well post this up and see how people react, get some feedback…

At any rate, as I mentioned, this is another Alternate Universe style fanfiction, based off the plot and characters from the series "Medabots". I do not own the rights to the characters – or, really, anything related to the show – but I became interested in it after seeing Torre degli Angeli's FFIX/Medabots crossover. I figured that I should find out more about the characters to better understand how they act in that, and… well, I think you can figure out the rest.

So, anyway, the typical Alternate Universe disclaimer applies: traditionalists should back out now, as reality's going to be rather skewed. Situations have changed, characters have slightly different personalities in response to how the changed situations have effected them… Those who have read some of my other AU stories and cringed at certain gender switches can breathe a sigh of relief, though, as I doubt I'll be doing that here (only character I even considered doing that to, briefly, was Rintaro…heh). The entire basic semantics of how medabots appear and operate has been rewritten, though, as explained in the storyline.

If you're interested, feel free to continue. If not, this is your final chance to leave… You had your fair warning, so don't bother flaming.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

File 01: Flight of the Metabee

A small figure hurtled down the barren city streets, moonlight streaking down to reveal his desperate flight. The runner appeared to be a young child, though there was an odd bulkiness about his body that seemed a stark contrast with its swift pace. Also, occasionally the moonlight would strike something that gleamed brighter than human flesh or most clothing could.

Several paces behind the fleeing figure, a group of much taller people was attempting to catch up. They were dressed in almost completely identical uniforms, what appeared to be jet-black bodysuits that caused their bodies to almost vanish against the backdrop of shadows. Many of them also wielded guns, and were firing freely at their moving target, the silencers on their weapons the only thing helping to mute the clatter of bullets shooting forward.

The childlike figure stumbled as a bullet struck its right leg, but instead of collapsing completely, merely staggered a few steps forward before taking off again. Only the fact that it now favored its other leg a bit more as it ran gave away the fact that it was injured.

But that temporary slow of pace cost the fugitive, for its pursuers were able to close the gap between them a bit more. The ebony-clad men pressed ever nearer, a few reaching out as far as they could to grab the escapee while others simply took aim again.

Abruptly the childlike figure stopped dead in its track and whirled to face them. Moonlight played across part of its shadowed body, reflecting off of bronze-yellow armor and the dark barrel of a gun that appeared to be mounted just above the fugitive's hand. A few of the startled stalkers in the very front of the pack caught a glimpse of the figure's eyes – green eyes of an impossibly bright hue that seemed to glow with an inhuman light.

Then, the child-thing opened fire.

Panicked, its would-be kidnappers scattered, trading their previous organized pursuit for a chaotic scramble for their own lives as laser fire tattooed the street with bursts of light. While their confusion was only temporarily, as many readied their own weapons to return fire, the small fugitive took full advantage of their breaking ranks. Pivoting smoothly on its heel, it took off at a dead run.

But luck can be fleeting at times, the fates smiling upon you at one point, then turning their backs to you the next.

Just as the childlike figure made its break from the pack, one of its pursuers leveled his gun at its bulky back. A cruel smile curled thin lips beneath a pair of dark sunglasses, then the retort of a pistol echoed in the night.

Again the small figure stumbled, but this time, its left hand shot up in an attempt to reach its back, while the bullet had solidly impacted just below the neck. An odd stuttering cough came from the childlike thing, but the noise was cut short as another shot rang out. The hand was instantly yanked back, a wounded howl replacing the stammer. A small spray of sparks suddenly skittered across the figure's arm, briefly dotting a square, bronze-yellow gauntlet with points of light.

The sneer of the sniper widened a fraction, and one black-coated arm swept forward in a grandiose gesture toward the injured fugitive.

"Take him," a deep voice ordered, oozing with self-satisfaction.

"So sorry, afraid I can't allow that."  
  
The smug smirk froze, then shattered completely, as the gunman whipped his head around to face the origin of the unexpected comment. The other hunters also looked around in confusion, before somebody cried out and pointed, the shout taken up by others as they spotted the source.

A lone figure, tall and sleek in the moonlight, was standing atop a street lamp. Slender arms were crossed firmly over a trim chest, the posture rigid, legs pressed together and completely straight, like the body was a direct extension of the pole on which it balanced. A cape billowed from the young man's shoulders, waving in the wind proudly like a flag, and short black hair whipped around his face.

By far, however, the most eye-catching thing about the figure was its face – or, rather, what passed for it. A stark white mask completely covered the stranger's true face, its only features two wide blue circles and a crescent slash of crimson – a stark parody of a normal person's features.

"Who the hell are you?" the sniper demanded, spitting out the words disgustedly.

"I?" the caped figure echoed, in a voice that was smooth, calm and assured. "I am vengeance. I am the night. I am…"

"Batman!" one of the bodysuit-clad goons called out, and scattered laughter rippled through the dark crowd.

"No!" the lone figure on the lamppost shot back, a vein now standing out on the back of his masked head. "I am… the Phantom Renegade!"

"…Never heard of ya," another, distinctly female voice replied, as the uniformed mob continued to whisper among themselves.

Not all of the dark-suited members were so quick to dismiss the stranger in amusement, however. The sniper who had gunned down their quarry continued to glare towards the masked interloper, lips set tightly together in a thin, grim line.

"…All you are, buster…" he grated, and in one fluid movement snapped the pistol up to align with the Phantom Renegade, "…Is dead!"

The sharp retort of the gun firing once more cut through the night, but this time the bullet failed to strike its target. The masked interloper abruptly sprang from his position on the lamppost, and with a flourish yanked his cape tightly around him, shrouding his body from view. As the sniper whipped his gun about to take aim again, this time with several of his comrades following suit, the stranger appeared to melt into the shadows, even the stark white facemask vanishing behind the folds of his cloak.

"What…?! Damn!" cursed the sniper, and he immediately began to scan the darkened streets for any sign of the intruder.

The confused mob looked about, the hushed murmuring rippling through their ranks changing tone from amusement to amazement. This swiftly changed to panic as several members noticed that their quarry had managed to slip away during their distraction. As they spread out swiftly to search the area, the sniper barked out orders, assuming command and directing his allies about.

"Remember, it's wounded! It can't possibly have gotten far on its own! Find it and make sure it can't escape!"

At that moment, in one of the shadowed alleyways, the self-proclaimed Phantom Renegade was stealthily creeping away, the black backing of his cape enabling him to both blend into the darkness and conceal the hunched, limping figure of the mob's former target. The silky fabric brushed the smaller figure's shoulders as the interloper held one arm curled over its head.

"Those morons couldn't find their own behinds with both hands and a map, especially at this time of night," the masked man whispered, low voice dripping with cocky amusement. "We're practically home free…"

Absently, the Phantom Renegade relaxed his arm, allowing it to fall gently over the smaller figure's shoulders. The child-thing immediately pulled away, and again blinding green eyes flashed into view, filled with stubborn anger and disgust. Hatred radiated from the tiny body: outrage at being pulled off its feet and led away like it was helpless, completely incapable of fending for itself. Mixed with this was confusion and fear: it did not know this strange masked person. Mistrust burned brightly in the lime green orbs, and it stumbled farther away, ignoring how its stumbling caused noise to echo through the narrow alley.

The Phantom Renegade started at this reaction, which had obviously taken him off guard. Behind the mask, unseen eyes dimmed with sorrow, as a hidden heart felt a sharp pang of regret. But the simple mockery of a face that the world saw could yield no hint to its wearer's silent response to the fugitive's distrust.

Instead, as the shouts from the searching mob behind grew louder, the Phantom Renegade simply reached out, then rapidly yanked his hand back, folding his arm toward his chest to form a concealing pouch with his cape. Spinning on his heel, the masked man then charged directly toward the few hunters that had begun to trickle into the alleyway. Just as he reached them, drawing so close that the nearest one could have almost reached out and seized the caped stranger had he not been so stunned by his rapid approach, the Phantom Renegade abruptly sprang up, landing on another lamppost.

"He's got it!" several of the mob members shouted, seeing how he held his cape folded in front of as if to conceal something held tightly in his arms.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for? Get him!" the sniper ordered, waving his arms wildly at his men in frustration.

Beneath the mask, the Phantom Renegade smirked, and he flipped backward to land on another pole. As he expected, the uniformed goons immediately gave chase, their scattered orders for him to stop and hand over their prey becoming louder and more insistent as he led them on – further and further away from the alley.

"Don't have half a brain between the lot of you, do you?" he mused under his breath, resisting the urge to call out the taunt just to see them react. He couldn't risk giving himself away until he had lured them far enough away…

Finally, judging that he had led his pursuers on long enough, he turned and whipped his cape out in a grandiose flourish, revealing… nothing. Empty air had been all that had been encircled by the folds of his dark cloak, a simple ruse that paid off for the masked man. As his trick dawned upon the uniformed crowd, causing enraged murmurs to ripple through the unruly pack, the Phantom Renegade decided it would be prudent to leave immediately.

"Perhaps that will teach you fools not to mock the Phantom Renegade!" he taunted, and executed a stiff, mocking bow toward them.

"Damnit!" the sniper snarled, taking aim directly at the interloper's masked face.

Before he could tighten his finger completely over the trigger, however, the Phantom Renegade abruptly sprang away, from one lamppost to the next, and soon melted into the night. Cursing under his breath, the sniper relaxed his stiff posture, allowing the hand cradling his gun to fall back to his side. Behind him, the uniformed crowd milled anxiously. One of the bodysuit-clad goons separated from the rest and nervously approached.

"Sir? What now?"

The sniper swiveled about to glare at his minion, the intensity of his displeased glower radiating even through the dark sunglasses that hid his eyes. The minion recoiled, sweatdropping.

"Not a damn thing," hissed the commander, turning his back on the rest of the mob and beginning to stride away. "By now, it's most likely managed to find a place to hide for the night. We'll break off the search here for now."

"Of course, sir," the other replied, saluting stiffly.

"Don't worry, sir, I'm certain it will turn up soon enough on its own," piped up another member that had stepped forward.

The sniper and apparent commander chose not to dignify that observation with a reply, but simply signaled the rest of the gang to disperse. They did so, still muttering and whispering among themselves, oblivious to the fact that a certain masked figure was watching from nearby.

Hidden underneath the eternally smiling mask, the Phantom Renegade's true face was streaked with tears, eyes misting with bittersweet remembrance of a time long lost. A silent prayer welled deep in his chest, a hope that the fugitive managed to slip away without being caught by his pursuers.

That may have explained why, when the masked man finally turned away, he promptly took one misstep right off the pole and plummeted to the ground in a not-quite so graceful face-plant.

* * *  


In another darkened alleyway, the child-like fugitive continued to limp along. The extent that its injuries had affected it became more and more apparent as it moved, the staggering steps becoming slower and more sprawling with each lurch forward. Its right foot was all but being dragged along, the majority of the hunched figure's weight balanced on its other leg. Light and shadow played in shifting planes over the small body, giving glimpses of battered bronze-yellow armor, a slightly askew helmet with an odd ornament on the top, green eyes whose bright lime glow was gradually dimming.

Suddenly, the child-thing stumbled, and topped over into a stack of cardboard boxes. It lay there, unmoving, as a faint flicker of light engulfed its aching form. The bulky bronze-yellow armor that covered most of its body, obviously the reason it had even survived the shot it had taken to the back, seemed to glow, then melt away, exposing a body that resembled that of a child even more.

Lime green eyes flickered dully once more up at the sliver of star-dotted sky visible high above, then dimmed completely, as an unnatural stillness fell over the narrow passage.

* * *

"Miss Erika! Time to get ready for school!"

A low, almost keening moan echoed from a mound of quivering covers in the center of the bed in response, as the addressed shifted her weight and rebelliously gripped both ends of the downy pillow her head was firmly planted in. Burying deeper into the comfortable burrow she had created during her slumber, the girl fought desperately for a few more precious minutes of rest… Just a little while longer, and then she'd be willing to get up and face the day…

But her borrowed time abruptly ran out as the covers were gently yet firmly yanked back, exposing a curled up and cranky young girl with tousled dark brown hair and tightly squeezed shut eyes in all her sleepy splendor.

"Miss Erika!" the lilting and vaguely metallic female voice repeated with a touch more insistence in her tone.

Again the addressed girl groaned, and one eye reluctantly cracked open, to be met by a pair of bright magenta orbs.

"All right, Brass," she muttered, pushing herself up, still clutching the pillow in a stubborn death grip against her chest. "Look, I'm up, I'm up, okay?"

Her companion simply shook her head, bright rose eyes failing to leave the other's tired face, the same expression of mixed patience, understanding and unwavering insistence on her own youthful face.

"Miss Erika, you must get ready for school."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," griped the girl, swinging her feet off the edge of the bed and sighing as she felt any chance of getting a few more seconds of sleep slip away.

"I understand that, Miss Erika, but you must realize that…"

Erika held up one hand to forestall her friend's speech, then waved vaguely in the smaller girl's direction as she stood and headed toward her dresser. Brass nodded again in understanding, then quietly slipped out of the room.

Once the other was gone from sight, Erika cast another longing look toward her bed, then sighed again and turned to pick idly through her clothes. There was no use in daydreaming about getting any more sleep right now, not with her dear friend Brass waiting for her, willing and ready to do what it took to ensure she got to school on time.

"And I certainly couldn't live without that service," Erika muttered, voice oozing sarcasm.

Despite the harsh tone, however, the girl's rueful smile could be seen in her reflection as she began to brush out her short mahogany hair. Losing any chance at extending her rest was a small price to pay to have somebody like Brass around, after all… 

At first casual glance, Brass might have been mistaken for a very young girl; like all of her kind, she was about three feet tall and had a basic body structure similar to a human's. A neat sailor schoolgirl's outfit aided the illusion, right down to the huge violet bow tied in the back of her hair.

However, it only took a few seconds and a clearer look at Brass for one to realize she was not a typical human girl. Though the body was expertly crafted and might fool one into thinking the skin was flesh and not metal, the bright blue hair that framed her gentle face and brilliant shade of her liquid magenta eyes belied her true nature.

Brass was a medabot: a highly advanced type of robot that was designed to help all humankind. Powered by a tiny medal that popped into a hidden compartment on her back, she was supposed to live only to serve her human master and partner, Erika.

Erika, however, preferred to think of Brass as more of a friend than anything else. After all, the little Sailor-type medabot had been her constant companion ever since her parents had allowed her to get one… Plus, the advanced design caused her to resemble another human, despite the unusual coloring of her hair and eyes.

Such elements of the design were required, however. When the first medabots had been built, the advanced technology enabled them to look so much like humans that several groups immediately protested… Paranoid idiots fearing an inability to tell the newly created artificial beings apart from the 'real thing'. Rather than completely scrapping the more life-like designs, the medabot creators had bargained, agreeing to ensure such things could never occur.

In fact, Brass looked more human than most other medabot designs: many had characteristics of certain animals incorporated to further distance them from actual human beings.

Erika rolled her eyes as she pulled her top over her head. Some people were so paranoid… It wasn't like you couldn't instantly tell medabots apart, anyway, thanks to their uniform height and the always present compartments on their backs for the medals that powered them. What was the big deal…?

Besides, even if medabots could be mistaken for humans, it wasn't as if they were about to take over Japan like a horror story straight out of some cheap movie. No matter how the paranoids cringed and wailed, it simply wasn't possible for medabots to even consider hurting humans: they depended on them too much. It took the cooperation of a human partner for a medabot to gain access to the majority of weapons and armor available on the market, or even their own default set.

That was where the concept of a Medafighter came into play. Every medabot was registered when they were bought as belonging to the person who they were intended for. That person then received a device called a Meda-communicator that could be strapped onto their wrist like a watch. The Meda-com enabled them to communicate with their medabot at all times, call their armor and weapons for a fight, support them in battle, and so on. Only a human could activate and use a Meda-com: it was built so that it would be impossible for some would-be rouge medabot to access even their own things from it.

Without a human partner, a medabot was essentially restricted to their default, unarmored mode, such as Brass was currently in. This rendered them practically helpless – while a partner-less medabot could function on its own, it couldn't defend itself nearly as well. Simply put, the arrangement forced medabots to rely on their human masters.

Of course, having a so-called Medafighter didn't necessarily mean one had to fight… Both Erika and Brass were perfectly fine with remaining noncombatants. While Erika could easily transform the Sailor-Multi into her battle mode if an emergency called for it – one of Brass's primary functions was to protect the human girl, after all – she rarely did so. She preferred simply having Brass as her friend and constant companion…

Erika finished dressing, snapping her own meda-com over her wrist, and snatched her digital camera off the dresser before leaving her bedroom. Brass was waiting just outside the door, and looked up at her human partner with a pleased smile, her magenta optics lighting up.

"Ready, Miss Erika?" she inquired in her polite, soft voice.

"Of course!" and the shorthaired girl winked at the medabot. Reaching down and taking Brass's hand, she added, "Let's go."

A few minutes later, the pair were well on their way to Erika's school, engaged in their usual early-morning chatter. The human girl was already outlining plans for the day, figuring out the best places to find her latest story for the school newspaper. Erika took her role as a junior reporter very seriously: she had a reputation for being the best in her class. Her knack for ferreting out important details was well known, and with good reason.

Yet sometimes – like this morning – Erika just had plain amazing luck when it came to locating her next big scoop.

It started simply enough. As they walked by an alleyway, Brass abruptly stopped short, causing Erika to nearly fall back as she found her arm being pulled behind her by her forward momentum. Curiosity instantly followed the slight surge of mild irritation she felt at being held back; after all, Brass never hesitated without good reason. Glancing over her shoulder down at her medabot, Erika blinked once.

"What's the matter, Brass?"

Brass returned her partner's glance, bright magenta eyes flicking once to the human's face before fixating back on the alleyway.

"…I thought I heard something, Miss Erika," she explained after a brief pause, her voice even softer and quieter than normal.

Again Erika blinked, then craned her neck in an attempt to see what Brass was talking about. Although nothing came immediately into view, the young reporter knew better than to simply dismiss her partner's hunches. Freeing her hand from Brass's grasp, she reflexively reached for her camera as she stepped into the alleyway, allowing her medabot to enter just ahead of her.

Brass stepped forward into the partially shadowed alleyway, and her magenta eyes shimmered, assuming a faint luminance. The medabot's vision instantly adjusted to the dim lighting, enabling her to see everything as clearly as if somebody was shining a flashlight everywhere she looked. Yet the only sign of this occurring was the faint rosy glow that her optics gained.

Carefully, she turned her head from side to side, searching for any sign of whatever had caused the soft noise she had heard. Really, she wasn't expecting to find much: perhaps a stray cat or other animal had whined, and needed some form of assistance…

Then her gaze fell upon a small hand sticking out of a collapsed pile of boxes, and Brass gasped, her own hands instinctively flying to cover her mouth as she took a single step backward. Behind her, Erika tensed, crouching slightly in a reflexive attempt to hide more of her body behind her more durable partner.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she queried, peering out into the shadows with fear-widened chocolate eyes.

"………"

A visible tremor ran through the small medabot's frame, and Erika suppressed a small shudder of her own as she noted her companion's mood. Gripping her camera tightly in both hands, the young journalist raised it in front of her, like a warding symbol meant to frighten off whatever lurked in the alleyway. She edged forward as Brass took a few halting steps toward a pile of toppled cardboard boxes, keeping directly behind the Sailor-Multi.

Then, finally glimpsing what her friend was staring so fixedly at, Erika shrieked and recoiled sharply, and her camera went off. The resulting flash threw stark white light over the scene before her for a heartbeat's time, bringing the details sharply into focus.

A small, pale arm hung limply over the edge of one of the collapsed boxes. A rather large, charred hole marred the back of the hand, revealing blackened circuitry underneath what otherwise looked like peach-colored skin. Attached to the lifeless limb was an equally battered and bruised body, that of what appeared to be a young boy. The other arm was folded over an athletic-looking chest, the fingers closed tightly around what greatly resembled a white watch on a band. Sandy blond hair spiked out in all directions, messy bangs falling over a pair of closed eyes.

The most attention-grabbing feature of the boy, however, was easily the pair of darker spikes sticking out just over his bangs, which looked for all the world like a pair of antennae.

"It's a…medabot?" Erika stammered, startled.

Instantly, a part of the girl's sharp, analytical mind began to form a series of questions, speculations and theories. What was a medabot doing lying in an alleyway like this? Judging from the condition he was in, it appeared to be badly beaten… Could somebody have abandoned it after losing one robattle too many? Or was it a defective model…?

A faint stirring of movement in front of her abruptly snapped Erika out of her musings. The yellow medabot was shifting, obviously in great agony. The reporter side of her nature was pushed back in favor of another facet; curiosity traded for compassion. Getting the story could come later; for now, this mysterious medabot needed some serious help.

"Brass, we'd better move him out of here," she decided aloud, snapping a few rapid-fire photos of the scene for later reference and slipping her camera back into its normal place.

"But Miss Erika, where can we take him?" questioned the Sailor-Multi even as she bent to help her fellow medabot from his unseemly position on the box pile. "Certainly not to school…"

"…That's right…" Erika muttered, chocolate eyes narrowing as she mentally kicked herself. She needed to get to her classes soon, and didn't have time to take the strange medabot back home… There was only one option she could think of at the moment.

"…Can you take him to the Hop Mart by yourself, Brass? I don't think I'll be able to help you there and get to class on time… Do you think…"

"I understand, Miss Erika," interrupted Brass, nodding. "Do not worry, I believe I can manage by myself."

"…Okay, great. I'll meet you there immediately after school, I promise!"

With that, Erika shouldered her backpack and took off out of the alley in the direction of her school. Brass picked up her fellow medabot and pulled his unresponsive body around so that he was leaning against her back, both arms draped lifelessly over her shoulders. As she started off at a slow, steady pace, being careful not to jar her passenger, Brass found herself staring at the wound in his left hand once again. She winced, magenta orbs dimming slightly.

__

…Who in the world would do such a horrible thing to a medabot…? She wondered, shaking her head in confusion. _It doesn't make any sense…_

"…Don't worry," whispered Brass unconsciously to her lifeless companion. "I won't let anything else happen to you…"

Draped over her shoulders, the strange medabot made no vocal reply, though for an instant his eyes seemed to flicker a dull green. Yet Brass failed to notice this tiny sign of recognition, as she carefully made her way forward toward her destination…

* * *

On the outside, the Hop Mart looked like your average convenience store designed to cater to the booming business of medabots. The shelves always seemed to be packed with a variety of wonderful models, new and old alike, and catalogues filled with all the latest parts and attachments were always available to be browsed through. If what the customer was looking for didn't happen to be in stock, it could always be special-ordered and delivered in a matter of weeks.

By the same token, there was nothing especially eye-catching or attention-grabbing about the teenage clerk who worked there, either. The young man was of just slightly above average height, thin without seeming weakly, and the simplistic store uniform looked somehow natural on him. Short, straight ebony hair was cut in a common style, framing a friendly face with dark, expressive blue-black eyes. The only thing that might have struck people as slightly interesting was the single black bang that arced away from the center of his hair in a thin crescent.

All in all, Henry was the sort of young man that tended to fade unnoticed into the background – unless, of course, you happened to be seeking him out directly for some reason.

"Mister Henry! Mister Henry!"

The store clerk paused in his sweeping of the floor and turned in the direction that his name was being called from. While the voice was familiar, the urgency that filled the lilting tone definitely wasn't.

"What's wrong, Brass…?" he started to ask, features already beginning to shift into a mask of concern.

When the Sailor-Multi staggered into view with her heavy burden, however, the expression on the clerk's face abruptly froze. The dark blue eyes widened a fraction, shock glimmering in their depths, but that spark of recognition was suddenly and violently snuffed out. In its place came a carefully neutral, stern expression, and Henry set the broom aside before walking over to Brass and relieving her of the weight of the other medabot. As he lifted the motionless body of the yellow medabot into his arms easily, Brass looked up at him with magenta eyes lit with concern.

"Mister Henry, is…will…"

"Don't worry about it, Brass, I understand," interrupted Henry, turning on his heel and carrying the broken medabot in his arms towards the back of the store. Over his shoulder, he called, "Do me a favor, Brass, and let me know if anybody comes into the shop. I'll get to work on this right away."

"R-Right," and Brass bowed politely toward Henry's retreating figure, adding shyly, "Th-thank you, Mister Henry…"

"It's alright, Brass," Henry assured her, just before he walked out of sight into one of the back rooms.

Setting down the broken medabot on a table, Henry took a step back and studied the new arrival. A lopsided, rueful smirk briefly twisted his lips, and he shook his head slowly in mild dismay. His dark blue eyes shone brightly with emotion, then once more a veil of neutrality fell over his features as he bent and got to work repairing the strange medabot's wounds…

* * *

A pair of dark chocolate eyes stared off blindly into space, as Erika rested her chin on one hand and let the endless droning of her teacher drift through the air unnoticed. For the time being, her mind was occupied by things that seemed far more important than reviewing kanji that she had already memorized long ago.

Instead, visions of motionless medabots lying abandoned in alleyways played through her thoughts, combined with ever-expanding speculations and possibilities on what may have occurred to cause such a grim sight.

A sharp tap on the back of her neck caused the young journalist to stiffen, biting back a shout of surprise. Whirling around, Erika relaxed when she found herself gazing into a pair of dark sapphire eyes, though her mouth tightened into a thin line of annoyance.

"Ikki, what was that all about?" she asked in an angry whisper.

"Jeez, Erika, I just figured you'd like to know that class is over," the boy returned, put off by her annoyed tone. "Didn't think you'd want to stay here any longer than you have to…"

He rubbed the back of his forehead nervously, causing the small ponytail he pulled the back of his short ebony hair into to bob about. Erika smiled reassuringly at him as she got up: she really didn't have any reason to be so short with him, and couldn't stay angry when he started looking cute like that – not that she'd ever admit it to him. The last thing she needed was to give Ikki some way to counteract her own methods of getting him to do what she wanted.

The two childhood friends gathered their supplies and walked out of the classroom together, side by side. As they made their way through the school, Erika noticed that Ikki kept stealing curious glances at her, confusion evident in his expression. Quickly growing sick of the not-so-secret stares he was shooting her, she decided to once again take the initiative, and rounded on the boy.

"Okay, Ikki, what's on your mind? Something wrong…?"

"Oh, no, it's just…" Ikki trailed off, his blue eyes darting off to one side, then back to her as he asked, "Where was Brass this morning? It's not like you two to be separated like that…"

"…Oh. That." Fighting back a pang of mild disappointment, Erika silently chided herself; of course Ikki would have picked up on that little detail. Swiftly deciding to let him in on the truth, Erika pulled him closer, lowered her voice to a whisper and replied, "I'll tell you if you promise not to let anybody else in on it. This is some super secret breaking news, just between you and me!"

"Alright," and Ikki nodded.

"…Okay, get this: Brass and I were walking to meet you on the way to school today, and you'll never guess what we found." Erika paused for dramatic effect, then continued in an excited whisper, "An abandoned medabot!"

"A what?!" gasped Ikki, almost forgetting to keep his voice low. Erika shot him a dirty glare, and the boy immediately hushed, looking contrite as he murmured, "Sorry…"

"A medabot," repeated the girl, nodding confirmation. "It looked like it was abandoned, just dumped in a pile of boxes. It was really beat up, too: it didn't even have any armor on, and was all dented and scraped. I didn't want to end up late for school, so I had Brass take it over to the Hop Mart for Henry to take a look at. I'm planning to head over there to check on it later. Want to come along?"

"Sure," Ikki replied enthusiastically, nodding.

Erika smiled, and whispered, "I thought you'd be interested. See you after school!"

The two separated and headed off towards their lockers to pick up things for their next classes. Neither happened to notice that one of the other kids in the hallway, a tall boy with wild spiked hair, paused to stare after them for a moment, curiously, before shrugging and turning back to his own locker.

* * *

Brass sighed and shifted nervously on the small stool she had pulled over closer to the table. The strange medabot was still lying there on the smooth, flat surface, looking more like a discarded doll than a fighting machine. Henry had already repaired its busted and broken parts, then the clerk had returned to tending the store for the time being.

Oddly, when Brass had attempted to thank him – as well as figure out what the repairs would cost – Henry had waved her off, insisting for her not to worry about it. Perhaps they could sort those matters out later… after Erika was out of school and arrived at the Mart.

Brass glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall nearby; school wouldn't be getting out for a few more hours. Until then, the Sailor-Multi would be completely alone, with only the strange medabot and Henry for company… and since the former was still unconscious and the latter hard at work, it promised to be a long wait.

Well… she could always pass the time by looking at the new parts available for her model, Brass supposed. While she wasn't exactly a fantastic warrior who had to have the latest and strongest weapons and armor, there were plenty of fashionable accessories being produced as well, and she never knew when something might catch her eye.

Still, she wasn't comfortable with just leaving the stranger alone. Repaired or not, he had been in very serious condition when she first came across him… Brass couldn't simply focus on anything else without knowing he was going to be okay.

Her magenta optics scanned over the stranger's limp form once again, from the antennae rising just above his messy blonde bangs to the otherwise human face and body. His arms were folded over his chest, the white meda-communicator still clamped in a vice-like grip in his right hand. The unarmored medabot was wearing only an oversized yellow T-shirt and tattered white shorts; the latter had been the only piece of clothing he had on when Brass and Erika first came across him, and the shirt supplied by Henry to add some more modesty to his outfit.

Still, Brass knew that the body hidden beneath those clothes was a trim, athletic frame, proof that this medabot had obviously been built and maintained for battling purposes before ending up in the alleyway for some unknown reason. The metallic skin was scuffed in places, though Henry had already repaired the various dents and the worst of the scrapes, further testament to a likely past as a fighter. He certainly looked like a winner… so why had he been discarded like that…?

__

…I wonder if there's something the matter with his medal?

Brass blinked as the sudden thought registered. She nearly slapped herself in the forehead for overlooking the possibility before: while she had wondered briefly about it when the medabot stirred slightly in the alleyway, getting him to safety had become her foremost concern, and she'd forgotten to check on it. The fact that it had been able to move before meant that there had to be a medal present, even if there was something wrong… a malfunction, perhaps…?

__

Well, I suppose that there's only one way to find out…

Nudging her chair closer to the table, Brass then stood up and leaned forward, moving as carefully as possible in an attempt to keep her balance. The strange medabot's unresponsive face was toward her, so the Sailor-Multi was forced to lean directly over him in order to reach the medal case positioned on his back. After straining for a few moments, she managed to get the case open, and sighed in relief upon spotting a small flash of gold positioned in the center.

"Oh, good, we didn't lose it," she whispered. "I was worried that it might have fallen out before…"

Then she noticed that small golden medal, while still present, was not completely pushed into place. Apparently it had been jostled too much when the medabot was moved around, and wasn't positioned correctly.

"No wonder you aren't functioning properly," murmured Brass, reaching in and removing the tiny medal. Turning it over carefully in her slim fingers, she noted, " A Kabuto medal, just like mine… Why, what are the chances of that?"

She giggled, amused by the coincidence, then slipped the medal back into place, being extremely careful with the precious piece. After all, a medal contained a medabot's own personality… holding one was like holding one's own soul in the palm of your hand. Making certain the Kabuto medal was positioned correctly, she then closed the compartment and fastened it tightly in place.

Instantly the strange medabot's eyes flashed a bright, almost blinding lime green, and his entire body jerked reflexively.

"Oh!" Brass cried out in surprise as the other medabot's sudden movement startled her, and she flailed about, almost losing her balance completely. Realizing she was about to fall directly on top of the stranger, she blushed and pushed violently backwards, ending up sending her chair skidding a few centimeters back and nearly toppling it over instead.

When she finally regained her balance, although she was now lying on her chest on the stool instead of sitting, Brass raised her head and found herself staring into a pair of bright green eyes.

"Ah! H-hello there," she stammered, blushing heavily and hastily righting herself into a sitting position. "N-nice to see you're finally awake…"

"Hey yourself," returned the strange medabot coolly, smiling. There was a certain self-assurance in his faintly mocking voice, and he glanced about from side to side as he added, "So where am I, anyway? And just who are you?"

"Oh… Well, my name is Brass, and this is one of the back rooms of the Hop Mart," explained the Sailor-Multi, her embarrassment starting to fade. "My partner Miss Erika and I found you in an alleyway… You were beaten up pretty badly, so Miss Erika had me bring you here to get repaired."

"…Ah." The male medabot stood, stretched, then glanced down at his clothing in surprise. "Hey, where's my armor?"

"…I don't know. You didn't have any on when we found you…"

"Aw, great! That's just perfect," griped the other medabot, annoyance flashing in his lime green eyes. "Damnit! When I find who took my stuff, you can bet they're gonna get a serious Metabee-boppin'!"

"…Um… 'Metabee-boppin'?" Brass queried, cocking her head to one side and giving her companion a confused look.

The other sweatdropped for a moment, then grinned cockily and folded his arms behind his head, laughing, "Oh, right, you don't even know my name!" Pointing to himself with one hand, he added, "I'm Metabee. Nice to meet ya, Brass."

"Pleased to meet you, Metabee."

"Heh. Now that that's taken care of…" Metabee scanned the room once, then kneeled down and started to slide off the table. "How do I get out of here…?"

"…Oh! Please, wait just a moment," Brass said, reaching one hand out to the yellow medabot in concern. "You can't…"

"Aw, don't worry 'bout it! I'm feeling fine now!"

Metabee pushed off the table and winced as his feet hit the floor. His hesitation allowed Brass enough time to hop off her own perch and get to his side. She placed one hand over his side, then looked over to meet his intense green eyes.

"Metabee, you weren't in very good shape when Miss Erika and I located you," she explained. "While Mister Henry repaired most of your wounds, he mentioned that your tin pet was still weakened. It should mend itself shortly, but until then you mustn't strain yourself…!"

"Great…" moaned Metabee, flopping backwards into a cross-legged position. Folding his arms over his chest, he griped, "So how long is this gonna take…? No way I'm gonna stay cooped up here forever…!"

"Please just try to relax for the time being," Brass soothed, sitting down across from him with both hands folded neatly in her lap. "Miss Erika wanted to check on you after her classes got out for today… While we wait for them, why don't you tell me more about yourself…?"

She inclined her head to one side and smiled, rosy eyes lighting up as Metabee slowly nodded his reluctant agreement.

"Well, let's see," he began, tapping his chin lightly with one finger. "Like I told you, my name's Metabee… Short for 'Metal Beetle', but who goes around calling themselves that? I'm a Hercules Beetle Type medabot, or 'KBT' for short, and I've got a Kabuto medal to match. I'm the best warrior around, and I have the strongest weapons and armor you'll ever see…"

Brass nodded, then waited for Metabee to continue. When the yellow medabot lapsed into silence, however, she blinked, then gently prompted, "…And? Who's your medafighter? Where do you live…? What…?"

Metabee just gazed back at the Sailor-Multi and smirked ruefully, shaking his head.

"Truth to tell, Brass, that's 'bout all I remember right now…"

* * *

The echoing ring of the dismissal bell couldn't have come soon enough for Ikki. Quickly gathering his supplies and shoving them into his backpack, the dark-haired boy navigated through the dispersing crowd of chattering students and located Erika. After waiting impatiently for the young journalist to drop off some things at the school newspaper's office, Ikki eagerly started off with his friend in tow for the Hop Mart.

"You're certainly in a hurry," Erika noted with a giggle as they made their way through the schoolyard.

"I just can't wait to get to the Hop Mart!" replied Ikki, grinning back at her.

"Oh? And why would that be, hmm…?"

Ikki and Erika froze in their tracks at the sound of the soft, mocking whisper behind them, and both slowly turned around, already knowing who had spoken. Erika looked vaguely annoyed at the interruption, while Ikki's expression held a mixture of resignation and frustration.

A trio of children about the same age as them was standing behind them, a pair of boys standing just behind a girl with her arms crossed over her chest. The taller boy's dark brown hair, so dark it looked almost as ebony as Ikki's own hair, was spiked up to further enhance his height. Oddly, however, despite the mock-aggressive stance he had taken behind the girl, a certain undeniable quality existed about the boy, making him seem the least threatening of the three.

The other boy was in many ways a direct opposite of his companion: where the spike-haired boy was tall and thin, this one was shorter and stockier. His eyes were mere narrow slits glaring out from underneath the wide brim of his cap, his arms crossed, fingers playing in a not-so-idle fashion over the front of his red and black meda-com.

Undeniably, however, the most intimidating member of the trio was the girl standing in front of the two boys. While she was far paler than her companions, with skin the clear shade of porcelain, there was nothing fragile about her stern expression and defiant stance. Long, silky chestnut hair fell in large bangs around her doll-like face, while the rest was pulled back sharply in a tight ponytail extending down her back.

Most striking about her, however, was the distinctive shade of her narrowed eyes: somewhere between emerald and sea green, with undertones of icy blue. At the moment, those intense eyes were fixed solidly on Ikki in a cold glare.

"Why are you so set on getting to the Hop Mart, Ikki?" she queried, her voice a soft, icy rasp. "What's the rush all about, hmm…?"

"None of your business, Samantha," snapped Ikki irritably, glaring back at the girl.

"Gee, Ikki, and here I could've sworn I heard you and Reporter Girl talking about seeing a medabot there or something," the taller boy commented, rubbing the back of his neck and blinking his thin brown eyes.

"You were spying on us, Spyke?" Erika hissed, fixing him with a dark glare.

The spike-haired boy cringed under her cruel gaze, but quickly gained control of himself when Samantha shot a sharp glance back at him.

"So, you were right, for once," she commented mildly, arching one pencil-thin eyebrow in mild surprise.

"Heh. Don't tell me Loser Ikki's finally fixing to get himself a medabot!" chuckled the shorter boy, smirking. "That'll be the day, right…?"

Spyke joined his companion in laughing mockingly for a moment, while Samantha just smirked, never taking her intense gaze away from the now visibly fuming Ikki. Erika looked on in concern and irritation, running several possible harsh retorts through her mind. Before she could spit one out, however, Ikki spoke up instead.

"That's right!" he declared, glaring daggers at the trio of troublemakers. "I'm going to get my own medabot, and you can bet that it'll be able to take all three of your stupid medabots any day!"

"…That so?" asked Samantha, as her male companions burst into another fit of chortles at Ikki's defiant statement.

Ikki nodded once in reply, still glaring at her. Samantha studied his serious expression for a few moments, then abruptly waved her hand once, signaling her two flunkies to quiet down. The two boys shut up immediately, cutting off their laughter with a start, and turned their full attention back to their obvious leader.

"Alright then, Ikki," she said calmly, locking gazes with the boy, "We'll be certain to come and see your new medabot. Let's meet in this same spot after school tomorrow, and if you do happen to have finally gotten a medabot of your own, we'll test your little claim about its…capabilities."

"Yeah, and if you don't have one tomorrow, I guess our medabots'll just have to settle for using you for target practice instead…!" chortled the shorter boy again.

Erika bit back an alarmed gasp at that statement, shooting Ikki a worried look. Interestingly enough, Spyke also seemed rather surprised by the slit-eyed boy's harsh declaration, though he quickly fought to hide his concern. Samantha just shrugged, unaffected by the comment.

"See you tomorrow," she repeated simply, turning on her heel and walking away, long chestnut ponytail flowing behind her.

"Tomorrow," echoed Ikki.

He stared steadily after the girl as she walked off, the other two boys scrambling after her like a pair of over-eager puppies. Once the trio had turned a corner and was out of sight, Erika darted over to Ikki's side and spun him about to face her.

"Have you completely lost it?" she demanded, chocolate brown eyes flashing with anger. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"Neither can I," sighed Ikki, his stern bravado evaporating as his shoulders sagged.

"If you show up for school tomorrow without a medabot, the Screws are going to tear you apart!" Erika went on, waving her arms wildly for emphasis. "So unless you can convince your parents that you're going to die if you don't get a medabot by tomorrow…"

"Tried that tactic before. Didn't work."

"…Or have enough money to buy one yourself…"

"I've been saving, but… I don't think so," Ikki sighed.

"…Well, then, what on earth are you going to do…?!?" Erika demanded, glaring at her childhood friend.

"…Let's go."

"What?" Erika blinked, then chased after Ikki as he started to walk off and demanded, "Go where?"

"To the Hop Mart, of course," and Ikki glanced back at her with a thin, forced smile as he added, "To see that new medabot you told me about."

"What…? …Oh, no, Ikki," groaned Erika. "Please don't tell me that you expect to…"

Ikki just smiled and kept walking along, ignoring the junior reporter's continued protests and complaints. Erika was forced to keep chasing after him, griping the entire way.

"Ikki, be serious for once. You can't expect to just waltz in there and… Hey! Are you listening to me? Ikki! Damnit, Ikki…! Why do you have to be so stubborn…?!"

* * *

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Brass wondered aloud as she watched Metabee pace around the room. "Can't you just rest and relax a bit longer…? Miss Erika should be arriving shortly…"

"Augh! How can you stand this?" griped Metabee, dropping back into a sitting position and looking at Brass in disbelief. "This 'Miss Erika' is taking _forever_ to get here! This is such a waste of time…!"

"It's not a waste of time. It's just that Miss Erika sometimes has to attend to things after school… but she will be here very soon."

"How can you keep saying that?" Metabee hopped back to his feet. "All I know is, if she's not here in five more minutes, I'm leaving!"

"But you can't…!" Brass cried, standing as well.

"Why not…"

"Because she's here," Henry interjected smoothly, peeking into the room. Opening the door completely, he waved Erika and Ikki inside before adding, "I'll be back in the main store if you need me for anything. Later!"

With that, he exited, leaving Erika and Ikki staring at Metabee. The beetle medabot crossed his arms over his chest and returned their look with a challenging stare, lime green eyes glowing slightly.

"Okay, which of you two is 'Miss Erika'? You're gonna be so sorry for keeping me waitin' so long…"

Brass giggled, and walked over to her medafighter's side. Erika smiled, noticing that Ikki seemed rather upset by the unspoken implication in the yellow medabot's comment.

"I'm Erika," she introduced herself, then gestured toward her fuming friend as she added, "And this is Ikki, a friend of mine."

"Yeah, whatever," Metabee waved absently at the boy before turning his burning glare back to Erika. "And just what made you think it would be okay for you to keep Brass and me waiting for you?!"

The sheer outrage in his glowing lime green eyes caused Erika to recoil slightly, sweatdropping a bit. Of all the reactions she had been expecting from the strange medabot once he recovered, this was definitely not one of them. Putting up her hands in a defensive gesture, she motioned for the ticked-off KBT-type to calm down.

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to leave before making certain you were okay," she defended herself. "But I couldn't just skip out on my classes…"

"Miss Erika's sorry, Metabee," Brass affirmed, stepping in front of her partner and bowing slightly in apology. "Please don't think badly of her or Ikki…"

"…All right, all right," conceded Metabee, finally calming down a bit. However, he muttered under his breath, "You're just lucky I don't have all my weapons and armor right now, or…"

"So, um… Metabee, was it?" asked Erika, surreptitiously retrieving her notepad and a pen from her pocket. "How did you end up in that alleyway, anyway…?"

"Man, do I have to go through this again…? I already told Brass all I know…!"

"You did…?" Erika shot her medabot a meaningful glance, silently signaling the Sailor-Multi that she expected to hear the full story later. Brass nodded once to show that she understood, then turned her attention back to Metabee, who was still ranting.

"Look, all I really remember is that I was fighting something, and they managed to get a few good shots in. I ended up taking a bit of a rest after the fight, and next thing I know, I'm waking up practically naked with that Brass girl all but on top of me!"

"What?!?" Ikki and Erika exclaimed in unison at that last, as the reporter shot the now heavily blushing Brass a look that said they would _definitely_ discuss what had happened in full detail later.

"Metabee, you're making it sound so horrible!" the embarrassed Sailor-Multi blurted. "I just adjusted your medal so that it was back in its proper position, and then you woke up and startled me… Besides, you do have clothes on."

"Hey, without my armor, I feel naked," retorted Metabee, giving the left sleeve of his oversized shirt a disdainful tug. "Sure wish I knew where that went…"

"It probably was transported back to your meda-com," Erika remarked, noticing and pointing to the white watch-like machine the yellow medabot was absently twirling on its band.

"What, this thing?" Metabee asked, looking down at the device in surprise. Holding it up in both hands, he shook it a few times and added, "So how do I make it come back, already?"

"You can't."

"Say what?" Metabee narrowed his lime green optics at the girl dangerously.

"Sorry, but there's a feature programmed into meda-communicators to keep them from being activated by medabots." Erika shrugged helplessly. "It's supposed to be a safety device of sorts… Anyway, you'd need a medafighter to activate it for you…"

"A Medafighter?" echoed Metabee. "What the hell is a Medafighter?"

"How can you not know what a Medafighter is?" Brass asked, amazed. When the KBT-type just blinked at her, she explained, "A Medafighter is a human that looks after and cares for a medabot. They're a partner, a best friend, somebody for you to protect and to protect you… The way that Miss Erika and I look out for each other."

"Hmm… Can't say I remember ever having one," mused the yellow beetle.

"But you must have…!" Brass exclaimed, aghast. "I can't imagine life without Miss Erika… Surely, you must have someone special…"

"Nope, not at all. I don't need anybody, really."

Brass simply stared at Metabee, magenta optics wide with shock. At the same time, Erika glanced over at Ikki calculatingly, judging what effect the KBT-type's boasts had on the boy. As she had both expected and feared, the ebony-haired lad was overjoyed, navy blue eyes practically shining with delight. Metabee's comments had inadvertently confirmed Ikki's hope that the medabot was unclaimed, partner-less. Erika could only pray that the boy had enough sense to have also registered the fact that Metabee appeared to prefer it that way…

Naturally, however, her hopes that Ikki would act with common sense for once were dashed as the pony-tailed boy eagerly interrupted the conversation.

"So you don't have a partner? That's great! Neither do I, and I'd really love to have a medabot all my own!"

The room fell deadly silent, as Metabee cut off his conversation with Brass and slowly pivoted to stare at the boy. Ikki was grinning, apparently blissfully unaware of the way the beetle medabot's narrowed green optics were glowing faintly as they swept over the human boy, sizing up the youth. Brass and Erika watched nervously.

"Say…what?" murmured Metabee, his burning gaze finally resting directly on Ikki's beaming face.

"Well, like you said, you don't have a medafighter," Ikki repeated, "and it's obvious you really need one. And I need to get a medabot by tomorrow afternoon, so it works out perfectly, don't you think…?"

He looked down at Metabee, still smiling widely, but felt his confidence start to slip away as a pair of bright lime green beacons glared harshly back up at him. Metabee was standing rigid, hands balled into tight fists at his sides, shoulders quaking as he fought a losing battle with his raging emotions. Ikki felt a small sweatdrop form on the back of his head, but didn't back down, even as his once-pleased grin became a nervous and unsure smile.

"…Don't you think so…?" he repeated slowly, a faint tremor entering his previously confident voice.

"No, I don't think so," Metabee retorted coldly, glaring daggers through the boy. "And I don't appreciate you thinking you know what's best for me. We just met, and already you're trying to control me…? Not gonna happen, pal."

"…Well, then, what are you going to do?" demanded Ikki, despair at his perfect solution being shot down swiftly changing to anger. "You can't get your armor back without a medafighter willing to let you use it…"

"Willing to let me use it?" echoed Metabee in enraged disbelief. "It's _MY_ stuff, buddy, and _I'll_ use it anytime I want to, any _way_ I want to, without some stupid human bossing me around!"

"But you _can't_ use it if you don't have a human partner helping you, 'cause you're just a medabot!"

"_Just_ a medabot? _JUST_ a medabot?!? I'm the best medabot around, buddy, and don't you forget it! I'd watch who I mouthed off to if I were just a stupid human brat like you, Icky!"

"That's _Ikki!_"

The two were now literally in each other's face, eyes locked together in death glares, gesturing wildly with their arms as they shouted at each other. Erika and Brass continued to watch in mute worry. Finally the two males broke off, and Metabee stomped toward the door, clenching his white meda-com tightly in one hand.

"I'm outta here," the KBT-type snarled, pausing to glare one final time at Ikki. "You need a serious attitude adjustment, _Icky._ It's no wonder you don't have a medabot of your own – no self-respecting medabot would put up with you!"

With that, he threw open the door and let it slam on its hinges as he stormed out of sight, leaving Ikki alone with the two stunned females.

"Looks who's talking!" the human boy shouted, shaking a fist at the now-empty doorway. "And my _name's IKKI!_"

"…Well, that went well," commented Erika sarcastically after a few tense moments of silence. "So much for that plan. Now what are we going to do about the Screws…?"

Ikki froze in place, the rage contorting his face melting away into an expression of mixed shock, realization and horror as the truth of his friend's words dawned on him. The foolish boast he had made of finally gaining a medabot partner, a baseless pledge made based solely on his wounded pride and frustration, was coming back to slap him in the face. With the slimmest chance of that actually becoming reality having just stormed out the door in a rage, Ikki was left with the reality of the situation, and the promise of a horrible resolution to his problem tomorrow afternoon.

"Great… I just screwed myself big time," he muttered, sinking to his knees and laughing weakly at his own pathetic attempt at a joke.

"…Ikki, if I may be so bold as to suggest a solution…?"

Ikki turned his head to stare dazedly at Brass as the Sailor-Multi continued shyly, "You may want to consider going after Metabee and apologizing. Perhaps if you explain your current situation, he will come to understand the amount of stress you are currently under, and that it motivated you to say those hurtful things. I know you didn't mean to be so rude, after all… You're simply upset that he turned you down like that."

"…How will that change things?"

"…I believe you were correct in stating that Metabee needs a partner, Ikki, and I know you well enough to be certain that you'll make some lucky medabot a terrific medafighter. But… Well, I believe that Metabee's a little upset. He can't remember much about himself, and you did come on a bit strong when you told him you should pair up. Maybe if you talked with him a bit more, got to know him better, he'd be more open to giving you a chance…"

"…You're right, Brass," and Ikki slowly got to his feet. "At any rate, it can't hurt to try… I've gotta go find him!"

With that, Ikki charged out of the room, and Erika and Brass followed him a few minutes later. As they went after their friend, Erika glanced down at her partner and smirked.

"Tell me, Brass," she cooed slyly, "did you say all that just to help Ikki… or are you thinking more about Metabee…?"

"…I only want what is best for both of them," murmured Brass softly, blushing again.

"Uh-huh. Sure…"

* * * 

Metabee stormed down the sidewalk, lime green eyes still glowing faintly with anger as he glared down at the meda-com he was holding. He had already attempted to activate on his own, only to find that Erika's claims were true – no matter what he tried, it refused to give up his equipment. His frustration had rapidly climbed to the point where he would have pounded the white meda-com against the wall in a desperate attempt to make it work. Thankfully, however, the KBT-type managed to restrain himself – after all, he had no clue what might happen to his stuff if the meda-com broke before he discovered how to summon it…

Caught up in his frustrated rage, the yellow medabot failed to pay any attention to his surroundings. However, when a loud crash of metal against concrete echoed from nearby, Metabee abruptly snapped his head up and looked around wildly, then raced in the direction that the sound had come from. Rounding a corner, the Hercules Beetle medabot stopped dead in his tracks, lime green optics widening slightly as they drank in the scene before him.

A feline medabot clad in fiery scarlet armor was standing a few feet away, her back toward Metabee. She seemed completely oblivious to his presence, her ice blue eyes fixed solely on the fallen figure of another medabot directly in front of her. Her long tail lashed slowly back and forth, her silver claws glittering in the sunlight as she shifted her paws about, crouching as if preparing to pounce on her prey at any second.

The fallen medabot twitched, small currents of blue electricity crackling over his battered green and violet armor. As it painfully pushed itself up on its right arm – its left was a noticeably darker shade than the rest of its body – Metabee glimpsed its sharp-edged, viper-like face, and that the long blades extending from the visor covering the lower part of its head resembled long, serrated fangs.

It lurched into a semi-standing position, still leaning heavily on its right arm. Metabee heard a sharp crack, and turned to see a girl Ikki's age with long chestnut hair pulled into a ponytail snap her fingers once before raising her left arm in front of her. This movement allowed Metabee to see a watch-like device strapped to her wrist: it resembled the meda-com he held to an extent, but was pink with a dark red band.

"It's over," he heard the girl whisper, and she raised her raspy voice slightly as she commanded, "Finish it, Peppercat!"

"Nya," responded the scarlet feline, and blinding blue-white electricity sparked into life around her front paws.

Before the fallen snake medabot could react, Peppercat was upon him, and razor-sharp claws ripped into forest green and royal purple metal. Her victim's body arched back, an agonized hiss erupting from it, before it went limp from the sheer force of the energy being directed into its system. A few moments later, the clear sound of something small and metallic landing on the ground rang out, and Metabee caught a glimpse of gold underneath the snake medabot's body before the crimson cat let it drop to the pavement.

"Function ceased!" shouted an odd-looking man standing nearby, sweeping his arm toward the feline medabot in a grand gesture. "The winner is Peppercat!"

"You're screwed, nya," Peppercat addressed her fallen adversary, tossing her head disdainfully.

"Damnit!" cursed a much older man, rushing over to the fallen medabot and picking up both its body and medal. This man was dressed entirely in black, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes, yet Metabee could almost feel the hatred in the glare he directed toward the CAT-type and the girl standing nearby. "You can bet you'll pay for this!"

"Whatever," shrugged the girl, her composed expression hinting that she couldn't care less what this guy threatened.

"Damnit!" the man repeated, before dashing off with his defeated medabot.

Metabee continued to stare, lime green optics wide circles on his astonished face. For some strange reason, the scene seemed awfully familiar to the Hercules Beetle medabot… He felt as if he had witnessed things like it countless times before, with one major exception: he was in the same position the feline medabot was currently in, victorious over some outclassed opponent. And there was somebody by his side, as well… Somebody always supporting him in the same manner the girl had helped her partner…

Still unaware of his presence, the longhaired girl tapped something on her meda-com. A ripple of blue electricity sprang into life around Peppercat and rapidly spread, hiding her figure from view. With a bright flash, the light receded, and a bolt of blue light streaked from the feline medabot to her human partner's communicator.

With a start, Metabee realized that Peppercat was no longer wearing her armor. Instead, the CAT-type was clad in a scarlet jacket and blue jeans, the clothes fitting her slender form nicely. Her long tail still swayed in gentle waves behind her, and her claws also remained, though now her paws were bare instead of covered by scarlet metal gauntlets. A pair of feline ears poked from the top of her head, and short flame-red hair framed her pretty face.

Then she turned, and pale blue eyes immediately locked onto the KBT-type. Peppercat's ears twitched slightly, swiveling toward him, and she studied him in silence, sizing the newcomer up. The chestnut-haired girl walked over to her medabot's side, turned to face Metabee, and took off her orange-tinted sunglasses, revealing a pair of equally icy verdant eyes.

"…Hey. That was one heck of a cool robattle," Metabee broke the silence after a minute, grinning widely.

"…Who are you, and what do you want, nya?" Peppercat inquired tersely, narrowing her faintly gleaming blue eyes at him.

"Me? I'm Metabee, one of the best there is, sister!" declared the KBT-type proudly, pointing to himself with one hand. Lime green eyes glittering mischievously, he added, "Care to try me on yourself? Who knows, you might just be able to hold your own for a while…"

"…Whatever, nya." Peppercat rolled her eyes, then glanced over to her medafighter and inquired, "Should I teach this braggart a lesson, nya?"

"…Where's your medafighter, 'Metabee'?" asked the girl, studying the yellow beetle carefully as she spoke, intense gaze resting on the white meda-com he held.

"Feh. I don't need one," Metabee dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"…He's not worth the effort, then," the girl decided, pivoting smoothly on her heel and striding slowly away in the opposite direction.

"I thought so, nya," remarked Peppercat lightly, turning to follow her partner.

"What?!"

"…If you don't have a medafighter, then there's no point in fighting you," the girl explained, glancing back over her shoulder at the stunned Metabee. "You won't have any good weapons, no armor, and won't be able to defend yourself very well. It'd be pointless to beat someone as helpless as you up."

"Besides, nya," chimed in Peppercat, a cold smirk appearing on her face, "Even if you could fight me with everything you've got, I doubt it would suffice. You look like a complete pushover, nya."

"What?!" Metabee repeated, fuming and waving a fist at the departing pair. "Oh, you're SO going to regret that…! Hey! Come back here when I'm yelling at you!"

"Call me when you've actually got a medafighter, nya… If you ever find anyone willing to partner with a piece of scrap metal like you," purred Peppercat, before rounding a corner and disappearing after her medafighter.

"You--!"

Metabee's lime green optics blazed with fury again, but the objects of his outrage were already out of sight. The KBT-type let out a screech of frustration, then whirled around and stormed off again. This time, however, he ended up not walking as far, drawing to a stop as the road passed over a river. For some time, Metabee gazed out at the water, lost in his thoughts.

__

I can't believe that Peppercat just blew me off like that…! He fumed, clenching his hands into fists._ Once I figure out how to get my stuff back, I'm gonna track her down and give that feline a serious Metabee-boppin'!_

__

I'm the best there is. I'll show her. I'll show everyone! I'm meant to be the champion!

His fists clenched tighter, as a flash of something shot through his memory. The mere thought of becoming the champion was comfortably familiar. It just… felt _right_ to Metabee that he should be known as the absolute best… the greatest medabot warrior in all of Japan! No, of the whole world…!

"I'm the greatest fighter in the world, and I swear I'll prove it to all of you!" shouted the beetle medabot, and smiled as he listened to his own words echo around him.

"That's your dream, isn't it?"

Metabee stiffened, and turned to see Ikki walking over to him. The medabot glared for a moment, then suddenly relaxed as he got a good look at the human's face. The boy was smiling, a bit apologetically, his hands half-raised in a sign of submission. There was a certain quality about the dark-haired child's honest smile and clear blue eyes that made Metabee calm down for the time being.

"Hey, I'm sorry about before, I just… Well, I was upset, I guess," Ikki explained, stopping next to Metabee and leaning against the bridge railing. Gazing out toward the river stretching out before them instead of down at his companion, he added, "It's just… You know, I've always wanted a strong medabot like you."

"Oh, really," drawled Metabee, also looking out at the water while keeping a discreet eye trained on the boy.

"Yeah," and Ikki sighed to himself. "Ever since I was little, my biggest dream was to become a world-famous robattling champion. I always pictured myself as picking out the coolest medabot ever built, and fighting all the way to the top, just the two of us. I'd never give in to an opponent, never surrender, never stop trying until I achieved my dreams."

"…So what happened? Why don't you have a medabot already?"

"…I never managed to find my dream partner. My parents insisted that I save up and buy a medabot with my own money, and though I keep scraping and saving, I've never been able to find the perfect one for me – a partner I both liked and could afford. I mean, a partnership with a medabot should be for life! I couldn't just make a decision like that lightly…"

"………" Metabee shot Ikki an appraising look, but quickly turned his gaze back to the rippling waters passing underneath the bridge.

"…It's embarrassing. I'm like the only kid in my entire school that hasn't gotten his own medabot. I've been teased a lot about it, but… I just want my partner to be special. Is that so wrong…?"

Ikki paused, then glanced toward Metabee as he smiled ruefully.

"That's why… When Erika told me how she'd found you in the alleyway, a mysterious medabot who just came out of nowhere, part of me hoped that you might turn out to be the one." Ikki shook his head, amused at his own daydreaming, and added, "But I ended up screwing the whole thing up… literally. I arrived expecting to find my ideal partner, and when you didn't act exactly according to my dreams I overreacted. I was… stupid."

The human boy sighed again and craned his neck back, voice dropping to a whisper as he went on, "Someday I know I'll find the medabot that's perfect for me. I just hope I'm still able to appreciate it when it finally appears…"

Metabee glanced over at the human boy, and suddenly found himself staring. Ikki was gazing off toward the horizon, sapphire eyes reflecting the sunlight, dark hair rippling slightly as it was stirred by the wind. For an instant, his hair seemed to come undone from its tight ponytail, blowing freely about a suddenly hauntingly familiar face…

Then the beetle medabot blinked, and the hallucination was gone, replaced by Ikki turning to face him with a slight smile on his face.

"You're going to be the champion…huh," Metabee said slowly, eyeing the human boy.

"Yeah… Well, that's my dream, anyway," replied Ikki, nodding.

Metabee stared at him for a moment more, then smirked and got to his feet. Placing both hands on his hips, he declared, "Well, I hate to break it to you, buddy, but that's not going to happen…"

"How would you know?!" Ikki fumed, whirling on the medabot.

"…Without me," finished Metabee smoothly, ignoring Ikki's outburst. As the boy stared at him in shock, the beetle medabot pulled out his meda-com and held it out by the band, spinning it idly as he added, "I'm the best there is, kid, and I'm gonna head straight for the top. If you want to, I suppose I could let you tag along for the ride… But only if you can prove you've got what it takes. You turn out to be weak, and I'll just have to find somebody more capable of being my partner…"

He turned to Ikki and held out the precious device, lime green eyes glittering as he finished, "But I'm willing to give ya a chance… if you think you can handle it…"

"…Yeah! Of course!" declared Ikki, and he reached out.

Instead of grabbing the meda-com immediately, however, he gripped Metabee's arm tightly instead, much to the medabot's surprise. The KBT-type looked up at him, and bright lime green eyes met wide sapphire orbs that were shining with determination and conviction.

"Just wait and see, Metabee. We'll be the best team ever!" Ikki promised, grinning widely.

Metabee smirked back and nodded, replying, "You'd better believe it, Ikki…"

The newly formed duo stood there for several minutes more, simply gazing at one another, silently affirming the new partnership that had just been forged between medabot and medafighter. A few feet away, Erika and Brass were watching them. Erika was busily snapping pictures of the two and scribbling on a small notepad.

"What a scoop! 'Mysterious Medabot and Student Team Up to become Champions!' And I'm going to get the whole story of their trials and tribulations first hand!" gushed the young reporter, starry-eyed. "This is going to be one fantastic exclusive story!"

Brass just smiled up at her partner, then turned back to watch Ikki and Metabee. Her bright magenta eyes shone brightly as she studied the new pair, and she clasped her hands tightly in front of her.

"Good luck, Ikki, Metabee," she whispered shyly. "Miss Erika and I will help in any way we can…"

And several feet away from the female pair, watching from behind the cover of a stand of trees, Henry smiled and nodded to himself, flipping his single long ebony bang away from his misty sapphire eyes.

"I had a feeling this was bound to happen sooner or later," he noted under his breath. "Best of luck, friend… You're likely to need all the help you can get."


End file.
